His Own
by 69Moans
Summary: They would never know, no one would, the depth of Severus's sacrifice.  And for him, that was fine. Oneshot


**Title**: His Own  
><strong>Rating<strong>: T  
><strong>Summary<strong>: They would never know, no one would, the depth of Severus's sacrifice. And for him, that was fine.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I don't own Harry Potter.

They all thought he owed them something, but Severus knew he didn't. He had never owned them anything. Albus and the Dark Lord had both broken their promises to him; to protect Lily, and to spare her. They'd failed to meet his expectations, and any vow of fealty he had for them became invalid. For Severus everything had to be mutual, and he got nothing of the sort from his two masters. The two men he had thought he trusted.

He decided after that night, surrounded by bits and pieces of what used to be Lily's home at Godric's hollow that he was now on his own side, no one else's. He couldn't stand the thought of binding himself to another anymore.

He continued to be a spy however, not because he had to, but because he could, because he was the only one able to. He felt no responsibility towards anyone while doing his part, they had no right to expect anything from him and try to guilt him into their schemes. Severus Snape was his own man, and he held to his own values.

He'd saved James's arse too many times to count while being a spy. He had no duty to him now, no life debt left to repay, but he still looked out for the boy with Lily's eyes, and James's looks. He didn't have to, but he did it anyway, because Severus Snape was a man of morals and values. No child deserved an early death. Those eyes also might have had something to do with it.

Severus Snape gazed into those eyes of green that reminded his so much of his best friend, and didn't let go of the black cloth. "Look at me." He knew he was dying, he didn't mind. This was not a repay of any life debt, this was not begrudged, this was life freely given, his for Harry's, because through everything, Snape was a man of morals and had a strong sense of righteousness. (Though it sounded so Gryffindor he would never admit it even to himself.) He added another layer to Lily's now useless protection, his own layer of love and whole hearted joy that everything would be _right _after so long.

Watching the backs of the trio as they left the room, Severus's fingers twitched over the vials in his pockets. He could name them off, _anti-venom, blood replenisher, flesh-knitting, draught of living death_…but he didn't uncork them, didn't swallow them painfully down… he banished them, hoping they now lay on the hospital wing's counter even as his eyes flickered, losing that final spark. Harry would never know; not really, what saved him from Voldemort's curse. The rest didn't deign to think on it, because it wasn't the first time Harry had escaped the killing curse alive, and what else was there to examine when given such a miracle?

No one would know, _no one_, that Severus Snape was truly the bravest man that ever came out of Hogwarts. Severus Snape didn't mind. He was, after all, a man of values.

**AN: This actually just came out of nowhere as I was trying to write my Ifrit!Severus fic…yeah just spontaneously. I think it started with the thought that there was no way that Severus's life debt would have carried over to Harry since he'd been a spy, and had probably had the chance to save James's ass several times by then. Also, usually when one willingly subjects themselves to servitude, there is a certain code of conduct that the "master" is expected to follow in payment for their "servant's" respect...**

**Mutual respect is a large part of what makes servitude work, without it we get…well…revolutions. Since Severus submitted himself under Voldemort, he at one time, respected the man with everything he had. I think Lily's death would have gotten rid of any of that respect he had left.**

**I actually feel a little sad about this now…seeing as it was just a spontaneous little blurb, I didn't really know how…emotional it was. I hope you like this, and please tell me what you think.**


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